The weight of this sad time we must obey,
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest have borne most; we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
Dr. Christie Carson, Royal Holloway University of London (shown on right) commented on the influence of these four lines on the play. Because the play has many renditions, there are times when Edgar delivers the line and, like the one we read, the Duke of Albany does so.
Edgar
Here, she quotes the director of the 1997 play in the National Theater, Richard Eyre. He says in essence that because Edgar has experienced some of the biggest tragedies in life, but stayed pure through it all it is perfect for him to give the advice to "open your heart, speak what you feel."
Duke of Albany
The lines of course have the same meaning, but a different effect when they are delivered by a different character. By his deliverance the words are kosher to the audience because of his "seniority," but she still feels like there needed to be a change to fit the audience's needs. By changing the character who delivered the lines from the Duke of Albany to Edgar, the play ends with more hope rather than "absolute despair."
My Own Interpretation
The first line really talks about the brutality of this life. There a lot of things we must go through in this life, there is no way out.
The second line, "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say" refers
to being honest with ourselves no matter the cost. In our group, we talked about how this line refers to the beginning of the play. Christa pointed out how Goneril and Regan both said what they thought they should say while Cordelia said what she actually felt. Even though this put her life into a whirl, she seems the type of character that would not take back her actions had she the chance to do so.
The third and fourth line to me give glory and wisdom to old age. It submits that youthful people should honor the aged because they ultimately have gone through these trials. In connection, "we that are young shall never see so much, nor live so long" refers to the fact that youth can always learn from their elders. Even with time, the old will be older than the young and more experienced.
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest have borne most; we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.
Dr. Christie Carson, Royal Holloway University of London (shown on right) commented on the influence of these four lines on the play. Because the play has many renditions, there are times when Edgar delivers the line and, like the one we read, the Duke of Albany does so.Edgar
Here, she quotes the director of the 1997 play in the National Theater, Richard Eyre. He says in essence that because Edgar has experienced some of the biggest tragedies in life, but stayed pure through it all it is perfect for him to give the advice to "open your heart, speak what you feel."
Duke of Albany
The lines of course have the same meaning, but a different effect when they are delivered by a different character. By his deliverance the words are kosher to the audience because of his "seniority," but she still feels like there needed to be a change to fit the audience's needs. By changing the character who delivered the lines from the Duke of Albany to Edgar, the play ends with more hope rather than "absolute despair."
My Own Interpretation
The first line really talks about the brutality of this life. There a lot of things we must go through in this life, there is no way out.
The second line, "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say" refers
to being honest with ourselves no matter the cost. In our group, we talked about how this line refers to the beginning of the play. Christa pointed out how Goneril and Regan both said what they thought they should say while Cordelia said what she actually felt. Even though this put her life into a whirl, she seems the type of character that would not take back her actions had she the chance to do so.The third and fourth line to me give glory and wisdom to old age. It submits that youthful people should honor the aged because they ultimately have gone through these trials. In connection, "we that are young shall never see so much, nor live so long" refers to the fact that youth can always learn from their elders. Even with time, the old will be older than the young and more experienced.
The weight of this sad time we must obey!
ReplyDeleteI really couldn't figure out this quote at first but i have an idea now!
What happens when we face a horrible situation or we see someone suffering, we like the herdsman in Orlando Furioso see the downcast and sad and want to cheer them up, we embark without asking leave, upon a story or to the create of a party to provide succor. We hope the sorrowful will enjoy the hearing and circumstance like so many others. We Try To Fix It or Look To The Bright Side!
However here Albany states the weight of this sad time we must obey!
A weight is something heavy that takes careful step to balance and great effort and strength to bear. A sad time brings tears and pain and together the pain and the sorrow, the weight must be obeyed and born. This is something for which there is no fix, no shirking the burden, and no making light. It's a story whose weight will be a reminder of the past and lesson for the future.